Phase 1: Designing the process

There’s no one right way to make decisions. The group should choose a method that feels fair and makes it possible for everyone to participate. Once the committee agrees on how decisions will be made, that same method should be used throughout the design phase.

2. Deciding on Values and Goals

Once the Steering Committee has agreed on how decisions will be made, they will usually create shared values and goals.

Values

Values are the shared principles that guide how decisions are made throughout the PB process. They help the group stay focused on what matters most to the community and serve as a check-point to help map the path forward when things get hard or unclear.

The committee should take time to name and agree on a short list of values that reflect the kind of PB process they want to create. Here are some examples:

Goals

Goals help turn values into action. They give the committee a shared sense of direction. A strong goal should be specific, measurable, and doable within the timeline and capacity of the process.

Here’s an example:

By the end of the PB process, we aim to engage at least 500 community members in deciding how to spend $200,000 on neighborhood improvement projects. We’ll track success through community feedback and work to build shared ownership, trust, and lasting impact.

Goals don’t have to be tied to numbers but they should reflect what the committee hopes to accomplish and how they’ll know if it’s working.

3. Deciding on Participation Eligibility

One of the Steering Committee’s key responsibilities is deciding who can take part in each part of the PB process. This includes:

• Who can propose project ideas during idea collection?
  Should this be open to all community members, or limited to specific groups?
• Who can help develop and review proposals?
  Will Proposal Developers or other roles be open to anyone, or require specific experience?
• Who can vote?
  What makes someone eligible to cast a vote? Will the process include youth, non-citizens, or people who don’t have formal documentation?

Defining “who can participate” normally includes debates of age and residency requirements. What is the youngest someone can be to share an idea or develop a proposal? Do they need to live in the area or can they also work or play there? These decisions matter. The criteria the Steering Committee sets will shape who shows up, who feels included, and whose voices are reflected in the outcomes.

Sometimes Steering Committees assume that the PB process is too complex for children or youth to participate. It’s important to show examples of children and youth not just participating, but leading PB processes. We’ve seen elementary school students suggest ideas in PB and vote on proposals. In processes like Boston’s ‘Youth Lead the Change’ , young people as young as 14 lead the entire process, including proposal development. It’s important to share these examples with the Steering Committee and provide helpful framing to make sure the goals they have drafted (which are often centered on inclusion) match the participation criteria. It’s easy to accidentally exclude populations (like children) if your Steering Committee does not have representation from every identity, or experience, as people often make assumptions about other’s abilities. Rather than starting from who can’t participate, ask, “What would make it possible for them to take part in this phase?

4. Voting Decisions

The Steering Committee also helps shape what the voting phase will look like. This means deciding how voting will work and making sure the process is clear and accessible.

Below are the key vote phase decisions Steering Committees typically make:

How many projects will be on the ballot?

Decide how many proposals will be included in the final vote. We recommend 10–15 projects to keep the ballot manageable. This helps voters understand their options and make thoughtful choices without feeling overwhelmed.

How long will voting last?

Set a timeline for the voting period. We recommend keeping voting open for 2-4 weeks to give people time to participate and spread the word.

What happens if something unexpected comes up?

It’s helpful to plan ahead for things like:

• What to do if two projects get the same number of votes (tie-breakers)
• What happens if there isn’t enough funding for every winning project
• Any other issues that could affect how results are handled

Having contingency plans keeps the process fair and transparent.

What voting method will be used?

The Steering Committee typically decides how people will vote. Here are two commonly used options:

• Approval Voting
  Voters can select all the projects they support.
  Example: Someone can vote for 3 out of 10 projects if they like all of them.
• Ranked-Choice Voting
  Voters rank the projects in order of preference.
  Example: Rank Project A as 1st choice, Project B as 2nd, and so on.

Both are valid options. It’s important they choose a  method that feels clearest and most accessible for your community.

The voting method you choose will affect how your online ballot is set up and which platform you can use, since not all platforms support ranked-choice voting. It’s important to discuss options with your technical team and any digital voting platform providers to ensure all voting methods can be supported in both paper and digital ballots, and that your ballot-counting processes will be valid. Make sure these considerations are addressed before presenting the decision to the Steering Committee.

5. Creating an Outreach and Engagement Plan

Once the Steering Committee has made key decisions about how the PB process will work, they typically create a plan to share that process with the community and invite meaningful participation. Because the Steering Committee should be representative of a variety of identities and perspectives in the community, we recommend they guide the outreach and engagement approach. It doesn’t mean the entity implementing the PB process can’t design outreach activities, but the general strategy is typically stronger when the Steering Committee takes lead on guiding the approach, and when it’s a collaboration between the two.

The outreach and engagement plan should be shaped by everything the committee has decided so far, especially values, goals, and participation criteria. This is an opportunity to make sure the process is visible, accessible, and welcoming to the full community, especially to people who are often left out of civic decision-making.

Plan the Steering Committee Meeting Schedule

Once you’ve clarified which decisions the Steering Committee will make, you can begin drafting the meeting schedule. After identifying who the members are and learning about their accessibility needs, decide whether meetings will be held in person or online, and determine their timing and length.

We recommend sending an accessibility survey once Steering Committee members are confirmed to help accommodate their needs and maximize participation. You can check out the Steering Committee Accessibility survey for an adaptable template. When deciding the Steering committee meeting schedule for the design phase, be sure to consider members’ accessibility needs and remember that decision-making in online meetings often takes longer. This can happen because participants may need to reference multiple documents at once, have varying degrees of comfort with digital tools, or experience different levels of internet access. Some may even join by phone. Online meetings also require a more intentional approach to relationship-building to foster the trust needed for thoughtful and nuanced decision-making.

Below is a sample meeting schedule that assumes each meeting is two-hours long  to help give you an idea of how you can split sessions. If you opt for shorter meetings, you might need more meetings. You should develop a schedule tailored to your committee’s needs!

Note: The schedule below is just for the Design phase. Once you discuss with the Steering Committee what their role should be throughout the rest of the process, you might decide changing your meeting cadence makes sense.

Organize Committee Compensation & Define Process

During the “Preparing for PB” Chapter you learned about the importance of allocating a budget to support participation, including compensation for Steering Committee members. During the design phase you’ll likely use this line item for the very first time. After planning the initial timeline, cross-check the budget allocated for Steering Committee compensation with the meeting schedule to ensure alignment. We recommend confirming that the design phase meetings fit within your budget and assessing how many additional meetings you can fund beyond that with the resources you’ve set aside.

Once you have confirmed you have enough budget to hold a certain number of meetings and identified a cadence that makes sense, you can clarify any processes or requirements your institution might have to deliver this compensation. You can put this on paper so Steering Committee members have clarity on these requirements and know what to expect.

Clarifying Steering Committee Commitments

It’s important to be clear about what’s expected of Steering Committee members from the start. Here are some key things to go over:

• Attendance and Participation
  Emphasize the importance of regular attendance and explain how members should communicate if they need to miss a meeting. Encourage active participation to ensure a range of perspectives are heard
• Meeting Schedule & Logistics
  Share how often the group will meet (weekly or biweekly), how long meetings will last, and where they’ll happen (in person, online, or hybrid). Let members know how agendas will be shared in advance. If you are compensating the Steering Committee you can also discuss how they will be paid.
• Working Together
  Talk about how the group will stay connected whether by email, phone, or text and agree on how updates will be shared. Share tips for navigating conflict respectfully and highlight available resources (like materials, space, and staff support) to help members feel prepared and supported.

Resources